Stanley Kunitz Medal Nominations

O’Hara Prize Submissions

Worcester Appoints New Poet Laureate, Youth Poet Laureate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/29/2025 11:41 am

WORCESTER, Mass. – City Manager Eric D. Batista announced Monday the appointments of the next City of Worcester Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate, which serve as official ambassadors for the city’s historic and vibrant culture of poetry and literature.

After a competitive selection process, distinguished poet and community advocate Nicole “Nic” Jean Turner has been selected as Worcester’s next Poet Laureate. She will serve from January 2026 to December 2028. Samara Tang-Rainwater, a freshman at Doherty Memorial High School, will serve as the Youth Poet Laureate from January 2026 to December 2027.

Turner and Tang-Rainwater will be presented with ceremonial medals created by local metal artist Pam Farren and will deliver their first official readings during the City of Worcester’s Inaugural Exercises and Celebration on Friday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Doherty Memorial High School.

Deeply embedded in the poetry community, Turner has become a standout in not only Worcester’s poetry scene but also New England. As an organizer and participant of the longest running independent poetry series, The Dirty Gerund Poetry Show, Turner has been uplifting emerging voices through performance, mentorship, and innovative programming. Her leadership and impact have earned formal recognition, including an Iron Poet Championship title, a gold medal in the Massachusetts Poetry Olympics, and a nomination for the City of Worcester 2025 Woman of Consequence. In 2024, Turner founded The Roadshow, a rotating poetry team designed to break down barriers to participate in competitive poetry.

Turner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Fine Art, and Creative Writing from Le Moyne College, and a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Regis College. Turner is the author of With Only Which She Could Carry (UWA, 2020) and has been published every year since 2012 in newspapers, literary journals, and anthologies.

“I’m passionate about building sustainable, inclusive spaces where poets can grow,” said Turner. “My mission is to study the mechanics of community and to offer mentorship to poets of all ages, ensuring that everyone has a place to discover their voice.” 

A proud Worcester native, Tang-Rainwater has been exploring the arts from a young age, starting with drawing and music before discovering a passion for writing. She now writes poems, stories, and songs and plays the trombone, cymbals, and piano. Tang-Rainwater aims to bring diversity, honesty, and encouragement to her work, inspiring fellow young poets and promoting a love of writing across Worcester’s multicultural communities. 

“I love the diversity in Worcester,” said Tang-Rainwater. “Hearing different perspectives and experiences has kept me deeply connected to this city.”

Looking ahead to her two-year term, Tang-Rainwater says she hopes to “grow as a person, grow in integrity and intelligence, and connect with people across the community.”

“The City of Worcester extends its heartfelt thanks to outgoing Poet Laureate Oliver de la Paz (2023-2025) and Youth Poet Laureate Serenity Jackson (2024-2025) for their remarkable service and artistic leadership,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista. “Throughout their terms, they have both brought poetry to life across the community performing at schools, libraries, festivals, and civic events creating meaningful connections with residents of all ages. Their performances and workshops elevated local voices, inspired emerging writers, and fostered a greater appreciation for the literary arts throughout Worcester. We are truly grateful for their creativity, dedication, and lasting contributions to the city’s vibrant cultural landscape.”

The objectives of the City of Worcester’s Poet Laureate Programs are to: 

• Enhance the presence and appreciation of poetry and literary arts in Greater Worcester.
• Celebrate the spirit of the people and special qualities of Worcester, the City of Innovation.
• Raise awareness of the power of literature, poetry, and the spoken word.
• Provide a forum for collaborative art forms.
• Engage and support an emerging generation of poets and spoken word artists.
• Provide access to poetry and literary arts to all sectors of the community.
• Encourage the reading and writing of both poetry and the written word.

To learn more about the Poets Laureate program visit www.worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/poet. Poets Laureate are available for bookings and appearances through the Worcester Poets Laureate Appearance Request Form. This process provides a direct and efficient way for schools, organizations and community groups to engage with Worcester’s literary community, and benefit from the creativity and cultural enrichment these artists bring to the city. The community is encouraged to follow the Poets Laureate on Facebook Worcester Youth Poet Laureate | Facebook and Worcester Youth Poet Laureate | Facebook where updates on events, photos and videos of performances are shared throughout their terms. 

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Art DuBois, a lifelong resident of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, has published his first book of poetry, which also features his own nature photography.

Desperate Souls, Hopeful Hearts is a heartfelt collection of poems that gently explores life’s struggles, losses, and pains with raw honesty and a voice uniquely Art’s own. Each poem reaches into emotions we all recognize, leaving readers with a sense of deep connection and understanding. Though some poems have moments that can be experienced as heavy, a constant thread of hope runs throughout the book as a reminder that love has the power to comfort, heal, and light the way forward. Complementing his poetry are dozens of evocative photographs taken by Art himself. Together, the words and images create a powerful experience that speaks to both the heart and the spirit.

Art DuBois is a 68-year-old career clinical social worker who has worked as a psychotherapist, and in the Public Defender’s Office, and in management positions in the human services field. Art has been involved for years in town affairs as a member and chair of the Select Board, and other governmental and political activities. His interest in poetry and photography have clearly overlapped. About ten years ago he began a nearly weekly mindfulness practice that included long walks on a nature path along the ocean,. This lead to his return to writing poetry and to begin enjoying capturing with his camera the beauty of nature. He cites Mary Oliver as his main inspiration. His own poetry is not only heavily influenced by his mindfulness practices but also his life’s work of helping others. Desperate Souls, Hopeful Hearts is currently available on Amazon.com as a hardcover, paperback, and e-book. It will soon be available on other platforms.
Art is married to Susan, and they have three adult children.

On Saturday, November 8^th from 11 am – 1 pm, Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 East Main Street in Webster, MA will host a book signing event with local author Robert Racicot and his latest release The Legend of the Oxford Pirate. The event is free and open to the public. Signed copies will be available for purchase. For more information or to RSVP, please call 508-949-6232.

About the book: A storm sinks pirate Sam Bellamy’s ship off Cape Cod. A stranger carries a secret inland along the Bay Path. Centuries later a discovery is made at ancient ruins. Blending legend, local lore, and childhood adventure, this coming-of-age tale uncovers how mysteries of the past still haunt the forests of New England.

About the author: Robert Racicot is a retired Air Force Lt Col and Professor of Chemistry. He is enjoying his retirement years hiking, mountain biking, and writing stories, and poetry. He is the author of the young reader books The Legend of Carbuncle Pond and The Haunting of the Oxford Library.

Halloween is a time for legends and lore, and more! Worcester Magazine is looking for submissions of poetry and art for our special Halloween poetry and art page, as part of the Oct. 31 issue. Here are some guidelines; please send to msmith@wickedlocal.com, and please copy wmeditor@gatehousemedia.com and victor.infante@telegram.com. This way, if one of us is out, we will still receive your submission.

All are welcome, but preference is given to writers and artists from Worcester County or who have strong Worcester County ties. Click here for Submission guidelines!

Fitchburg poet Laura DiCaronimo, who brings all kinds of performing artists in northern Worcester County together at the regular Openest Mic, is one of this year’s nominees for Spoken Word Artist of the Year.

Unlike the musicians on this list, whose work you can find on streaming, DiCaronimo can’t be easily found on Spotify, but that’s no issue if you want to watch her do her thing. The Openest Mic has a YouTube channel that hosts livestreams of most of its shows dating back to 2023, and she’s likely the first person you’ll see on them, whether reading her own writing or performing a cover poem.

Please click here to read full article in Worcester Magazine,

Booklovers’ Gourmet is hosting a book release and signing with author Mary Anne Kalonas Slack on Saturday, November 1^st from 2-4 p.m. Her second novel, Painting a Family, features mother and daughter relationships. Her short stories have been published in Adelaide Literary Magazine and in the 2013, 2024, and 2025 Quabbin Quills Anthologies. Her first novel, The Sacrificial Daughter, was published in 2023 by White River Press. This event is free and open to the public. Booklovers’ Gourmet is located at 72 East Main Street in Webster, MA. For more information or to RSVP, please call 508-949-6232.

About the book: Painting a Family tells the story of Jane, who endures a strict Catholic upbringing in the 1960s and 1970s, when good girls only leave the nest to marry and have babies. Longing to be an artist, Jane dares to follow her dreams—until she meets handsome, stalwart Tim O’Connell. They marry and have four daughters. But when her girls are nearly grown, Jane is faced with a challenge for which she is utterly unprepared.

With twists and turns along the way, the mother and daughters shield themselves with secrets and test their loyalties to one another, until the ties that bind threaten to break once and for all.

Compete for the chance to win $100 in this Poetry contest. Check the description below to see if you are eligible.

Name	Link to Pieces
Marybeth Reilly-McGreen	“On Paying a Visit to the Poem Next Door,” Holy Cross Magazine, Sept. 22, 2025
Jared Bowen	“Worcester’s industrial history, As You Like It in Boston Common, and Pedro Alonzo,” The Culture Show, WGBH Radio, July 22, 2025
[photo essay], Worcester Telegram & Gazette	“Worcester’s poetic history eyed at ‘Tales from Poetry Town’ panel at Museum of Worcester”  July 22, 2025
Victor infante	“Talking ‘Poetry Town’ connections and the city’s ‘strange gravity’ at the Museum of Worcester,” Worcester Magazine, July 21, 2025
Judith Ferrara	‘In Worcester, Massachusetts’: How can these six poets be given their just due in one gallery space?” Judy’s Journal, paletteandpen.com, July/August 2025
Richard Duckett	“Museum of Worcester celebrates city-inspired poets in ‘Poem Next Door,'” Worcester Magazine, June 26, 2025
Richard Duckett	“Winners of ‘Poems in and out of Places’ contest to read at Museum of Worcester event,” Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 11, 2025